Another You
by Mizhera
Summary: Beyondard is again in trouble. Trill is still the target. Iris is back on Earth but there's a catch. She's now a human. And it seems like only a certain black-and-white haired prodigy can help her. "What if in the other world, there's also another you?" (Photo credits to the owner)
1. Prologue

_**A/N:** Hello there! Welcome to my second fanfic of this fandom. First of all, I'd like to express my gratitude for giving this story a chance. But I'm going to warn you though that there will be some mistakes since I haven't seen all of the episodes. However, I'll try to do my best to correct it and make the story worthwhile for your time. Please also take note that:_

 _a) I'll be using the Japanese names for all characters as well as the locations in the story._

 _b) I'm going to refer Iris and Trill's world as " Beyondard" to make things simple since according to Wikia, there's no official name for it._

 _c) Yes, this is an Iris x Enzan_ _fanfic._

 _Anyway, without further ado, let's get on with the chapter~!_

 **DISCLAIMER: _I don't own Rockman/Megaman NT Warriors or its characters._**

* * *

 **Prologue**

* * *

It was almost midnight and the only sound that you could hear were from the crickets, other nightly creatures, and two pairs of footsteps. Two _NetNavis_ were currently running inside a dark forest.

The first one was a female who was probably in her early teens (if she was indeed a _human_ ) and was wearing yellow-and-green helmet that covered half of her face. Her long mint green armor-like skirt was torn and smudged with dirt but she didn't seem to notice. Biting her lower lip, she continued to navigate her way inside the sprawling woodland along with her companion. They had been running for almost an hour now but she didn't mind. They needed to escape— _No, wait_ — _He_ _,_ the younger _Navi_ who is with her, needed to escape.

Her companion, a young boy _Navi_ who's barely 4 years old, was wearing a yellow helmet and clothes which were also wrinkled and covered with dirt. Because of his small appearance, he could be easily mistaken as someone who's weak. But truth to be told, this kid was actually the _Synchronizer_ , a special _NetNavi_ that could wield the power of Glaga and Falzer (two cybeasts that caused war 3 years ago but was eventually defeated). They assumed that after that catastrophe, his powers had also ceased. However, for some reason, some shady individuals were still after him and it's the very reason why they were currently on the run for safety.

The kid yawned. He was already tired and sleepy but he, too, continued to run as the girl was holding his hand firmly. But, because of his small strides compared to hers, he was having a hard time keeping up and would trip once in a while.

Finally, after stumbling for the nth time, he spoke up, "Oneechan, can't we rest for a while?"

The female _Navi_ sighed. "I'm sorry, Trill, but we can't," she answered without looking at him as she scanned the area. "We need to hurry and get to one of Tadashi-hakase's old laboratory as soon as possible."

"Can't we just go to the Dimensional Area Laboratory?" Trill asked, tilting his head in one side.

"No. That _person_ had probably already expected that."

"But, why do we have to go there?"

"There's a teleportation pad in there that will take us to a place far from here."

The young boy's eyes lit up. "We're going back to Earth?"

She sighed again. "No."

"We're not?" He frowned. "Why? RockMan could help—"

"No," she said firmly. "This is Beyondard's problem..." Then she paused as if to recall something. "We can't risk involving Hikari-kun and the others with another catastrophe of ours _again_."

"But—"

She shook her head and became worried. "Come on, Trill. That _person_ might have already figured out that we're not heading to the Dimensional Area Research Facility."

Trill shuddered, remembering the masked _Navi_ who had just attacked them that day and almost destroyed the whole village. But he immediately shook away the thought and followed her.

The two of them continued to run until finally they arrived at an abandoned building deep in the forest. Clearly, it hadn't been used for a long time since wild vines were already climbing on its walls and most of its windows were broken. Luckily, the back door's lock was already rusting so with just one attack, they managed to break in.

The female _NetNavi_ immediately made her way to the basement and began to look for the laboratory's generator. After a few minutes, the light eventually illuminated the whole place, making various equipment come to life and visible to them. She sighed with relief then approached the machine with some kind of platform in the far corner and began typing on its computer.

Trill, on the other hand, began to walk around while checking the other machines curiously. He doesn't really understand how those things work yet but when he saw his own reflection in one of the equipment's glasses, he began to feel mischievous and started making faces in front of it then laughed. He was in the middle of sticking his tongue out when suddenly a huge explosion took place just outside the facility, triggering the alarm.

"Trill!" the girl cried out in panic. She dashed towards him then grabbed his hand and went back to typing faster than before. The alarm continued to blare throughout the laboratory making her more anxious but she needed to focus.

Just when she was about to type their desired destination, the door in the basement slammed open revealing a mysterious figure wearing a dark coat and a cape. His face was half-covered with a mask and with him were other viruses looking as sinister. A smirk slowly formed in his lips when he saw them.

"Smart girl, aren't you?" he asked rhetorically. His voice was distorted by some kind of gadget, making it sound mechanical to their ears.

The female _Navi_ didn't respond but narrowed her eyes as she tried to look tough but her hands were already shaking with fear. She tightened her grip on Trill who didn't bother to hide the horrified look on his face.

" _Iris_ , isn't it?" He inquired but again she kept quiet. "Well, whatever. I'll get to the point. Hand over the _Synchronizer_ , young lady."

"Never!" Iris declared firmly. "You have to pass through me first."

The masked _Navi_ laughed sarcastically. " _Really_? As far as I know, Colonel's sister wasn't a fighter."

She immediately flinched upon hearing her deceased brother's name. It had been 3 years since he died and even so she was still having a hard time moving on.

He ignored her reaction and continued. "After all, you're nothing more but a bunch of data comprised of his emotions, aren't you? Oh, wait— _was_." Then grinned wickedly. "You gave it all back to him but he died in the end. So what are _you_ now?" he taunted.

Her hand balled into fist but before she could say anything, Trill interjected, putting himself in between them with his small arms spread wide. "Trill will protect Oneechan." Clearly, the young _Navi_ was scared but he was also determined.

He smirked. "How brave of you, kid." Suddenly, a sword materialize on his hand. "But you wouldn't be able to protect her when it's _you_ I'm after." He then proceeded to attack them with the help of the viruses who was with him.

"No!" Iris released a ball of energy forming a barrier around her and her companion. The Dream Aura served as a temporary shield between them, providing her the chance to type random coordinates on the teleportation pad. She immediately dragged the younger _NetNavi_ with her towards the platform and pressed the button to close the wall around them just in time for her barrier to break.

"You can't escape me!" The masked _Navi_ gritted his teeth and directly attacked glass wall but it only bounced off.

Slowly, a light began to emit from the machine and surrounded the two _NetNavis_ as they started to disappear.

"NO!" he roared and, out of desperation, he slashed the computer connected to the teleportation pad which caused an explosion. It cause the wall to break into tiny pieces and made the transfer unstable but it didn't stop them from fading.

Before they could fully disappear, the male _NetNavi_ didn't waste the opportunity to attack them. Now, without anything to protect them, Iris shielded Trill with her body and took the impact. This caused her to collapse and bits of her data to break apart and disintegrate in the process.

"Oneechan!" the young _Navi_ cried.

She only smiled but her vision was starting to blur.

The teleportation process continued to be unstable when suddenly a white crack of light with streaks of various of colors emerged from the malfunctioned machine.

 _Fossa Ambience? But that's_ _—_ Iris' thought was cut-off when everything went black. The last thing she heard was Trill's loud sobs and the masked man's angry curses.

* * *

 _"_ _Doctor, the patient is suddenly responding."_

 _"_ _Impossible. She's been in a coma for almost a year_ _now_ _and the machine is the only thing that is supporting her."_

 _"_ _But her vital signs are starting to stabilize, Doctor."_

 _"_ _Then continue to check up on her and I'll examine again her results. Please also inform Murasaki-san about the developments of her daughter's condition."_

 _"_ _Yes, Doctor."_

* * *

 ***Oneechan -** older sister

 ***Hakase -** professor/doctor


	2. Ch 1: Murasaki Ayame

_**A/N:** Here's the first chapter. Hope you'll enjoy~!_

 **EDITED: Changed a few names.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** _ **Again, I don't own Rockman/Megaman NT Warriors or it's characters.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 1:**

 _ **Murasaki Ayame**_

* * *

 _I must be hallucinating._ Iris concluded when she heard two voices having conversation inside her head. They were talking about someone named Murasaki-san and her daughter but she hadn't had a clue who were those people.

Besides, in the first place, where was she? Everything around her was dark, but she was still relieved though because she knew she could safely assume that they had successfully managed to escape… But what about Trill? Where was he? She suddenly felt alarmed. He couldn't have been captured while she was unconscious!

She began to panic.

" _Doctor, the patient is getting agitated. Her heartbeat is erratic."_

" _Proceed with the usual protocol."_

" _Yes."_

Immediately, she felt drowsy for some reason. She tried to fight back but it's no use. Her consciousness was slipping away again. And so, for the nth time, her mind went blank.

* * *

Iris was awoken by the warmth that seemed to be coming from her right hand. When she opened her eyes, she came face to face with a woman sleeping on a chair while leaning on the bedside and holding her hand. Her shoulder-length brown hair was a mess and a few strands strayed on her pale face. Dark shadows could be seen below her eyes and whether it's because of stress or lack of sleep, she didn't know. Her blue buttoned up shirt and black pencil skirt were also full of creases like they hadn't been ironed before she wore them in a hurry. The woman would probably be in her late thirties if it wasn't for her disheveled appearance.

The _NetNavi_ began to scan her surroundings. She guessed that she was in a hospital room as everything was mostly white. There wasn't much furniture, too, except for the small cabinet in the far corner, the table beside her bed and the bed itself. She looked outside the nearest window and only saw trees which sent a cool breeze towards her as it was currently opened. She tried to remember if she had been in this place before but in the end it was still unfamiliar to her.

She sighed and then realized that there's a bag valve mask on her face that helped her breathe. It was connected to a ventilating machine with a green canister that was on other side her bed and beside it was a monitoring device that showed the steady beating of her heart.

Iris was confused. How in the world did she end up here? She remembered that she lost bits of her data during the previous attack but when she looked at her body at that moment, everything was still intact. Then there was a _f_ _ossa ambience—_

She froze.

 _Wait…_

Then it finally hit her.

She's back on Earth! She's sure of it. She's also in the Real world for some reason. But how? Did she somehow managed to inhabit a vacant Copyroid by chance? Still it wouldn't make sense why she would be in a hospital though.

She turned again back to the woman sleeping. _And just who is_ _this person_ _?_

Iris decided to pull her hand from her grip but she won't let go. This led to to a bit of tug-of-war until the lady stirred. Slowly she opened her eyes revealing a pair of caramel orbs. She blinked once and proceeded to grab the glasses that was on the table before putting it on. When their eyes met at last, that's when the woman became stunned.

" _A-Ayame_ _?_ " she mumbled in disbelief.

Iris didn't respond but confusion was evident in her face. _Ayame?_ That wasn't her name and yet this woman seemed to know her and referred to her as that. The _NetNavi_ was sure that she had never met her but for some reason, she did seem to look familiar. But before she could process everything, the woman suddenly wrapped her arms around her.

"Y-You're finally awake." She cried as she tightened her hug. "T-The doctor said you… you won't be able to make it… but I know you would. I-I always believed. You promised that you won't leave me… that you won't leave your okaasan behind."

The girl frowned. " _Okaasan_?"

"Yes, sweetheart. And from now on, I'll definitely take care of you. That's why please… Please don't give your mom a scare like that again, okay?"

Iris had no choice but to nod albeit hesitantly. "Yes, okaasan."

The lady who had just claimed as her mom finally let go as the former began to wipe her tears with the back of her hand and adjusted her glasses. "T-That's good. I'm really glad." Then she beamed at her. "Well, then I should go and inform Tanaka-hakase that you're awake. Please rest for a while and wait for me, okay?"

The _NetNavi_ nodded again.

When her _o_ _kaasan_ finally left the room that's when Iris tried to sort out everything that just happened.

Apparently, the woman had mistaken her as her daughter whose name was _Ayame_. Coincidentally, when translated to English, it could mean "Iris" which was also her own name. But what baffled her the most was why did the lady thought that she was someone else?

 _Unless…_

Iris immediately tried to sit up from her bed but because of the sudden movement, her head started to ache and her arms grew weak. It seemed like her body is still recuperating and is not yet used to any kind of motion. But still she slowly continued to get up then began to rummage inside one of the drawers on the table near her. When she finally found what she was looking for, she held it out in front of her face and then her eyes widen.

Staring back in front of her was a girl with a long brown hair and emerald eyes wearing a white hospital gown. Even with the valve mask covering her mouth, she can tell that she was pale as a ghost but that wasn't the part that actually shocked her. After all, normally, that's how she looked like when she's in her _human form_. However, what's wrong was that the girl in the mirror looked nothing like a 12-year-old kid… In fact, she appeared to be much _older…_

… and everyone knew _NetNavis_ don't _age_.

* * *

"Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" Murasaki Shion, her _okaasan,_ asked for the fourth time in the taxi on their way home.

"Yes, I'm fine, okaasan." Iris tried to make her smile as genuine as possible. She had learn for a short period of time that smiling is her only way out from further queries. Truth to be told, she's not used to smiling so often but if it meant that they wouldn't bother her with any more questions, she would gladly obliged.

As usual, the woman seemed to buy it since she also smiled back and then continued her conversation with Dr. Tanaka via phone inquiring about the latest update of her condition. She, on the other hand, went back to staring outside the car's window.

It had been two weeks since she had regain her consciousness at the hospital but she still couldn't accept the fact that she had somehow turned into a _human_. More accurately, her consciousness seemed to be currently residing inside _someone_ who looked a lot like her. That's the only valid conclusion she had came up with after contemplating about it the whole time.

She remembered that during the war between the cybeasts years ago, they encountered other versions of people from Earth in Beyondard and so she deduced that _this_ Iris was probably the Earth's version of her. But what she didn't understand was why she was sent to her body and how it happened. It also didn't make sense that her counterpart was a human, had a different name and had a mother to begin with. She could tell that the woman wasn't pretending either since the whole time she only showed genuine concern towards her. But since it was the closest plausible scenario she could think of, she decided to stick with that theory for now.

That didn't mean she was already comfortable with the idea though. In fact, she also tried to disprove it by attempting to plug herself in to the Cyberworld just like in the past but then she realized she had lost her own PET _._ Still she tried but after many failed attempts, she finally gave up.

She decided to do what's next best thing, and that was to get to know her new identity.

It turned out that her full name was Murasaki Ayame, 15 years old, and was the only daughter of Murasaki Shion. They were currently residing in Chiisai Island, a small isle which was located at the south-eastern part of Nihon. A year ago, she met an accident which left her in a coma and stayed in ICU for months. They only moved her back to a regular room a day before she woke up. The only reason why they didn't cut her life-support even after many months was because her mother insisted not to and was willing to pay for the bills in exchange. Murasaki-san was willing to use all of her savings because she still believed that someday her daughter will wake up.

And like a miracle, the girl indeed regain conscious but what she didn't know was that her so-called _daughter_ wasn't the same person anymore.

Iris knew she had no choice but to fill in her role as it's the only logical thing to do. If she ever confessed that she was not Ayame and was in fact a _NetNavi_ from another world _,_ it would only cause a great confusion and disturbance among them. Even now, they were already suspicious of her when she didn't respond when they called her many times or when she barely react to anything they say. Thankfully, Tanaka-hakase concluded that she probably had developed an amnesia because of the accident. But she knew that if ever they were aware of her secret, her okaasan would probably send her back to the hospital or worse, the mental institution and she really didn't have time for that.

She needed to find Trill as soon as possible. And, honestly, she had already wasted so much time staying at the hospital when she could have been looking for him during those days. If only Murasaki-san wasn't so over-protective. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for her constant persuasion, she would probably be still stuck in the healing facility for who knows how long. Thankfully, Murasaki-san finally caved in.

But still, Iris couldn't do anything in her current state and she was so worried that something bad might have already happened to the young _Navi._ She won't be able to forgive herself if that was indeed the case. Her only hope right then was that Hikari Netto or anyone from them would be able to locate Trill and protect him until she could figure out how to get back to her own body.

She sighed.

"Ayame, we're here." Murasaki-san announced happily which interrupted her thoughts.

When she looked around, the taxi came to a halt in front of a small but modest looking apartment. Iris immediately noticed the group of iris flowers in their front yard. She guessed that her okaasan was probably really fond of it. The taxi driver then helped them carry their luggage to their doorstep before he drove off.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to cook something for lunch. What would you like to have?" Murasaki-san asked as she began to unlock the door and opened it for her. "After all, Tanaka-hakase said that you are now allowed to eat solid food. I'm sure you're already tired of eating hospital food for the past weeks, right?"

Iris merely nodded in response while dragging the stroller bag inside. In reality, it's actually her first time consuming human food. (Last time, it was only milk offered by Hikari-kun so it doesn't really count.) _NetNavis_ didn't need to eat in order to survive after all. But, of course, she couldn't say that.

"Then I'll cook your favorite Tamagoyaki. How does that sounds?"

"Wonderful, okaasan!" Iris tried to sound enthusiastic. "Um, can I wait inside my room?"

"Sure, go ahead. Just leave the luggage. I'll be the one to carry it to your room."

"Okay." She hurriedly removed her shoes and wore the indoor slippers from the rack before making her way inside.

It didn't take her that long to figure out which one was hers as there are only two room and the second one was full of stuffed animals and other girly things. Murasaki-san had probably prepared this room for her daughter… but unfortunately, Iris wasn't _her_. She wondered what could have been the reaction of the _real_ Ayame if she was here. Would she be enthusiastic? Would she jump for joy? She didn't know. And yet, she needed to act as her.

At that thought, she couldn't help but sigh but entered the room nonetheless. She went towards the bedside table and spotted a frame sitting at the top. She then took it and stared at the picture.

They were at the beach. Murasaki-san was smiling. Compared to the first time she met her, the woman's hair was more well kempt and her clothes were neat and not a crease could be found. The girl beside her was also grinning from ear to ear. She was wearing a lilac cardigan over a white collared sleeveless blouse with a blue ribbon in front and a violet knee-length pleated skirt. Her long flowing brown hair was tied into a half-up French braid secured by a green-and-pink butterfly barrette. At that moment, Iris realized how similar the smile of that girl and Murasaki-san's was. No wonder, the woman looked familiar to her. Clearly, her Earth counterpart inherited her appearance from her mother except for the eyes.

The former _NetNavi_ then tried to copy her smile but when she looked at the mirror, it only seemed forced. Even if they had the same face and were wearing the same clothes, she could still see the difference.

She bite her lower lip then stared again at the picture. "I'm sorry, Ayame-san. I didn't know why I'm suddenly in your body. I didn't mean to steal your life. But don't worry. I'll also take care of your okaasan in the mean time."

She paused then took a deep breath.

"And when I finally have my own body again, I'll return everything to you."

* * *

"You're watering it too much."

Iris stopped watering the irises in Murisaki-san's garden before she turned and saw a boy, no older than her (current age), grinning. His wild dark brown hair was a mess and he was wearing a white collared uniform with blue loose necktie and dark coat and pants. It looked like he had just arrived from school. What stood out the most was the large X-mark on his right cheek. Iris's eyes widen. She recognized him.

"Aragaki Kojirou…"

"Yeah…?"

She wanted to ask what was he doing here but then she realized that the _Aragaki_ in front her was probably not the same person she met in Beyondard. So she shook her head. "No, nevermind. What did you just say?"

"I said, 'You're watering it too much'." Then gestured at the irises in front of her. "My mom said you shouldn't water the iris flowers too much or else it will rot… something like that."

"Oh… I see." She then returned the watering can to where she found it.

"I heard that you'll be home today at last so I came to visit," he explained a little bit sheepishly as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Yes, we just arrived before lunch time."

"So… are you finally okay now?" He asked. Concern evident on his face.

"Yes. The doctor said so."

"That's great." He beamed but then frowned afterwards. "You've been out for so long, you know. Everyone's really worried. I mean, I was worried, too. We thought you'd never come back."

She blinked. "Everyone?"

"Yeah, our classmates." He smiled excitedly. "Man, I can't wait to see their faces once you're finally back at school!"

"Oh… Okay." She didn't know how to respond to that. "Um, thank you for visiting me, Aragaki-san."

His eyebrows furrowed. " _Aragaki-_ _san_?"

"Er… Is there something wrong with that?"

He looked at suspiciously. "No. Not really. But you don't usually call me that."

Iris began to panic. She cleared her throat. "Oh… I'm so sorry, K-Kojirou-kun? Must have slipped my mind."

He stared at her for second before sighing. "It's okay. You're still recovering after all." Then grinned again. "Anyway, I should get going. 'Kaasan's probably already looking for me. See you around, Ayame-chan."

She merely waved back as she watched Aragaki-san _—_ _No_ _—_ _Kojirou-kun_ walked towards the house in front their apartment and went inside it. It turned out they're actually neighbors. What a coincidence!

Iris let out a sigh of relief. She was almost caught. Thankfully, she managed to correct herself. But still, she needed to be careful from now on. She might be able to fool everyone with her appearance but she won't last long with her personality. But then, as she stared again at the iris flowers, the _ayame_ flowers, in front of her, she also wondered how long will she have to act as the human girl whose name was _Murasaki_ _Ayame_ …

* * *

 ***Okaasan -** mother

 ***Tamagoyaki -** japanese omelette


	3. Ch 2: Investigation

**_A/N:_** _Yes, Chiisai Island is a made-up place. It's not canon._

 **EDITED: Added a few paragraphs at the end.**

 **DISCLAIMER:** _ **By now, you should realize that I will never own Megaman NT Network. Huk.**_

* * *

 **Chapter 2:**

 ** _Investigation_**

* * *

 **Densan City,** **Nihon,** **Earth**

 _(More than two weeks ago...)_

"Maaaaan, I'm getting booooored!" Hikari Netto complained from the other side of the screen. Even at the age of 15, his untidy brown hair was still bound by a blue bandanna bearing their family emblem on it. However, he had already outgrown his orange vest, white long-sleeved shirt and black-and-yellow shorts and thus now sporting an orange-and-white sweat jacket and blue jeans.

Ijuuin Enzan, his fellow _NetSavior_ and friend, on the other hand, had also replaced his black and yellow long-sleeved shirt, red sleeveless jacket, and camouflage long pants for something more casual. He settled on a red sleeveless hoodie over a yellow T-shirt and partnered it with a pair of black pants. He sighed as he ran his fingers to his black-and-white hair (which was then long enough to be tied in a small ponytail) in exasperation before glaring at him—well, technically at his computer at that moment. "Don't tell me, you only called _this_ late just to _whine_ to me about _that_."

Netto pouted. Clearly, even after 3 years, this guy still retained his childishness. "Oh, come on, Enzan. You know that it's true. Ever since the Cache incident, nothing _unusual_ has happened in Densan City. Right, RockMan?"

"Yes, it had been very quiet. Even here in Internet City, everyone is just doing just fine." RockMan, Netto's _NetNavi_ partner, added as he was standing on his _NetOp's_ shoulder in his transparent miniature form. Unlike his _NetOp_ , he didn't change a lot. In fact, he still looked the same as the first time they met with his blue fitted bodysuit, helmet, and boots.

"Well, shouldn't you be more _glad_ that everyone is safe now?" Enzan pointed out as he reclined back to the swivel chair.

"Yes, but _—_ "

"Enzan-sama is right." Blues, the young prodigy's own partner, finally spoke up. He was also perched on his master's shoulder and was quietly listening to the conversation the whole time. Like most _Navis_ , he didn't age either and was still wearing the same black and violet bodysuit, red helmet with his black shades, and boots. "During those days, we were always in danger and it wasn't easy to survive," He continued.

"I know that." The brunet frowned. "But I wish there would still be some action, you know. It's getting pretty dull lately. There weren't even much attacks from random viruses in the Cyberworld. I mean, the last incident was already _a_ _month ago_. I don't even remember the last time I had to crossfuse with RockMan."

"It's not some kind of a game, Netto."

"I have to agree with Enzan," RockMan remarked. "I don't see what's wrong with doing nothing for a change."

Netto sighed, realizing that he was at the losing end of the argument. "But don't you miss being a _NetSavior_ again?"

The young prodigy didn't immediately respond.

If he had to be honest, like Netto, he did miss the thrill of fighting an enemy along side with Blues _._ He had missed battling strong foes and save the world but... If it meant that peace will be carried out in their city, or in every part of the world, he'd rather have that than to be always on the run for safety.

"We're still _NetSaviors_ ," he finally answered. "It's just that we don't have much _work_ right now. But anyway, you should be grateful for a break, you still have other things you need to do."

The brunet became confused. "Like what?"

"Oh, I don't know..." Enzan trailed while shrugging off then smirked. " _Clean your room_?"

"Hey!" Netto protested out of embarrassment as the rest them laughed. It can be seen behind him that his room was currently in a chaos as there were clothes, school books, test papers, pencils, and comic books scattered everywhere. A total opposite of Enzan's room which was sparkling clean and orderly. "Just so you know, unlike _you_ , we don't have maids in our house to clean for us," he huffed in annoyance.

"Enzan-sama does the cleaning in his room though," Blues said.

The brunet went wide-eyed. "Whaa! Seriously?!"

"Well, I don't like others touching my stuff." Enzan simply shrugged then frowned. "Anyway, don't you have exams tomorrow?"

Netto groaned. "Don't remind me!"

The young prodigy shook his head then he turned to RockMan. "He hadn't reviewed anything yet, had he?"

The blue _Navi_ only sighed in defeat as a response.

"Hey! I tried okay?!" The brunette _NetSavior_ defended himself.

Enzan clicked his tongue in irritation. "If you only called me, just to distract yourself from studying then go bother someone else, Netto. I don't want to hear any of it from your mom or dad... or even your _girlfriend_ that you failed."

At the mere mention of the word 'girlfriend', the other boy from the screen blushed furiously before finally resigning himself from further lecture. " _Fiiiiiine!_ "

"Good."

"Geez! You must be so lucky now that you're out of school." Netto lamented. "You don't have any exams to worry about."

He didn't reply to that.

 _Lucky, huh?_

But instead he shrugged off dismissively. "I'm gonna hang up. Good luck on your test tomorrow though."

"Thanks. See yah!"

Enzan disconnected the video call. Then everything became quiet again.

"Enzan-sama?" Blues broke the silence after a few minutes.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Just thinking." Then the young prodigy turned to him. "Anyway, you should also go and rest, Blues."

The red _Navi_ wanted to object but he knew better than to disobey his master when he's in this state so he obliged. "Yes, Enzan-sama. Just call me if you need anything."

The teen merely nodded then Blues also disappeared.

Now that he was all alone, Enzan decided to brood over his thoughts. He slide open the glass door leading to the to the veranda and went outside. As he watched the city lights from his condominium unit, for some reason, he couldn't shake away what Netto had said at the last minute.

Was he really lucky?

Sure, he had graduated a _little_ too early. He was already out from the Amerope University at the age of fourteen. Indeed, he had lived up to his title as a young prodigy. But ever since then, he had also come back to Nihon to become a full-time vice president of their company. That meant, more pressure and responsibilities on his shoulders. Unlike, when he was still studying, right now, Enzan barely had time for his own and even to his friends. His schedules were always full of meetings with different clients in behalf of his father or supervising their business. While boys at his age were worrying about school and fitting in, he, on the other hand, was already forced to be concerned with their company's profitability and future.

And so the young prodigy never considered himself fortunate. In fact, he was cursed more than anything.

While in their last year as a student at Den Junior High, Netto along with Sakurai Meiru and Ooyama Dekao weren't under the same stress as him. Because despite of the exams and such, they could still hang out with each other.

The only person who could probably relate to him was Ayanokoji Yaito, the heiress of their rival company, Gabgom. Just like him, she also skipped grades and at the age of eleven, she was already in the same year as Netto and the others but was studying at DenCity School for Girls instead. And despite not also being able to be with the gang, unlike him, she wasn't pressured by her parents to take over their company. In fact, they showered her with everything she wanted, a total opposite of him.

Enzan smiled bitterly.

The funny thing was that he was the one who was supposed to be ahead from everyone else but to be honest, he felt that he was actually the one who was left behind. While others were taking their time to enjoy their youth, here he was already growing up too fast and further away from them.

So from time to time, he would like to escape from his reality. Usually, it only happens when he's _NetBattling_ , which is also the reason why a part of him shared the Netto's sentiment. But again, he didn't want to be selfish. As a _NetSavior_ , his duty was towards the safety of many. And now that there weren't any more danger and IPC's future was on his hands, he was forced to spend less and less on his passion for the sake of their family business.

 _Still, if only things would change._

He shook his head. There's no point of thinking about it. There were other things he needed to worry about.

He finally went back inside his room and closed the glass door behind him to rest for the night.

What Enzan didn't realized at that time was that starting the next day onward, the change that he was silently hoping will indeed begin.

* * *

"A sighting of a _fossa ambience_? Are you sure, hakase?" Enzan asked in disbelief. He was currently at the Ministry of Science after he was called early in the morning for an emergency after a short notice.

"Yes, just past midnight last night." a brown-haired man in his late thirties answered seriously as he fixed the eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose while studying the tablet containing some various information. "As a matter of fact, I have the coordinates for the exact location for it right here. The only problem is that the signal only lasted for a brief moment."

"But there hadn't been any case of new portals to Beyondard for the past three years, Hikari-hakase. How could this happen?"

"We don't know either." Hikari Yuichiro frowned having the same facial expression as his son, Netto, when lost in thought. "That's why I want you to investigate it for us. I also want to check it out myself but we're really busy here at the lab as of the moment."

"Does Netto know though?"

The scientist shook his head. "No. Not yet. I don't want to bother him now that he's currently taking his exams. Knowing him, he'll probably only skip it."

"I see."

"Can I count on you though, Enzan-san? Or do you also have other important appointments today?" He inquired worriedly.

"It's okay, hakase. I don't really have any scheduled meetings with our clients as of today and I already instructed Blues to clear my schedules for this purpose." At that moment, his _NetNavi_ also appeared on his shoulder.

"That's a relief." He let out a sigh. "Well, then just inform us if anything happens. We don't know for sure what threat is there in store for us now that the _Zoanoroids_ are gone. Please be careful, you two. We'll send a backup just in case."

"Yes, hakase."

* * *

Chiisai Island indeed lived up to its name as it was a small island located in the south-eastern part of Nihon and about a thousand miles away from Densan City. It would probably take about 3 to 4 hours land travel by Metroline and another hour by boat to get to that place. Fortunately, Enzan didn't have to worry about that since it would only take about an hour by chopper which he had the luxury to use. It was one of the perks of being a _NetSavior_ after all.

The young prodigy immediately noticed from a distance that the island was still developing economically and most of its technology was mediocre compared to the capital city of Nihon. However, despite of it, the island was blessed with a beautiful natural environment. All in all, it's really a peaceful suburban area which confused him because of all places, the sighting of _fossa ambience_ was spotted in this place which quite contrary to the abandoned military facility in Amerope. But then again, you can't really judge a place by its appearance.

After a few minutes, they landed on a plain grassland near the downtown and then Enzan went by the roadside and called a taxi to take him to his destination.

What surprised him was that when they arrived, the car stopped in front of the only hospital in the island.

"Are you sure we're on the right place, Blues?" He asked his PET _Navi_ after looking around.

Blues materialized on his shoulder and answered. "Yes, Enzan-sama, according to the data provided by Hikari-hakase, the coordinates pointed here at Chiisai General Hospital."

He frowned and contemplated before sighing. "Well, might as well start our investigation then."

His _Navi_ nodded then disappeared.

Inside, Enzan immediately approached a random nurse. "Excuse me, Miss." Then showed his _NetSavior_ badge. "I am Ijuuin Enzan and I'm here to investigate about something highly classified here at CGH. Can you take me to your director?"

The girl was taken aback at first because of his age but after checking the validity of his ID, she finally agreed and directed him to an office. She knocked first before opening the door and went inside while the he waited. After a few minutes, the nurse finally called him in and also left afterwards.

Upon entering, Enzan immediately noticed a raven-haired man in his early forties sitting in front of a desk full of folders and files. Like most doctors, he was wearing a white lab coat and a stethoscope was hanging around his neck. Written on the brass nameplate on his table was his name, _Dr. Hiroshi Tanaka, MD_.

The doctor looked tired but when he saw the young prodigy entered, he gave him a polite smile. "I'm Tanaka-hakase, the director of this hospital. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I'm Ijuuin Enzan, a _NetSavior_ from Densan City." He showed again his badge to him. "I don't know if the nurse had mention it, but in behalf of the Ministry of Science and _NetPolice_ , I'm here to investigate about an incident that had occurred here in your hospital last night."

Dr. Tanaka frowned. "Incident? What do you mean?"

"A portal to another world beyond us also known as a _fossa ambience_ was sighted in your place around 12:30 AM," Enzan explained. "This portal was the same one that occurred 3 years ago in Densan City which led for some rogue _NetNavis_ attacking our city. I'm afraid that history will repeat itself unless we do something about it."

"3 years ago..." Then his eyes widened. "You mean that huge crack of light from the sky?!"

"Yes, Sir."

The doctor's frown grew deeper. "Then you may start your investigation as soon as possible. I'll inform my staff to assist you in any way."

"Thank you, Sir." Enzan bowed. "But first, I'd like to know if there were any unusual events last night related to your technology information system."

He thought for a minute before answering. "No… No, I don't think so."

The young prodigy became surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes..." He confirmed then sighed. "But, I guess, it might be because we had only implemented the Internet Navigation System here at the hospital two years ago and we're still adjusting to it even until now."

"… I see."

"Is there anything else you want to know though?"

Enzan shook his head. "No, it's fine, Sir. I'll just ask around. You don't mind if I look into your system, too?"

"No, I don't."

"Then please excuse me."

"Wait!" Dr. Tanaka stood and called out to him before he could take his leave.

"Yes?"

"You mentioned _Ijuuin_ a while ago. Are you perhaps related to the Ijuuin PET Company?"

Enzan grimaced inwardly but nonetheless maintained his cool expression. "Yes, my father is the current president of that company."

"Really?" The man beamed and immediately shook his hand. "Then I would like to express my sincerest gratitude. IPC was the one who had sponsored us made it possible for us to implement the _NetNavi_ Program. Your father was a great man."

"Oh..." He tried to remember the sponsorship that the doctor was referring to. Indeed, two years ago, they had sponsored a lot of developing establishments throughout Nihon. He just didn't realized that Chiisai General Hospital was one of them. "Yes. You're welcome, Sir. I'll pass it to him."

"That's great." Dr. Tanaka smiled sincerely.

Enzan only bowed in return before finally excusing himself and left the room.

He began to ask a few people about the recent events in the hospital but just like their director, they also didn't notice anything unusual. This made the _NetSavior_ more confused. Was it some kind of a mistake then?

"Guess it's up to you now, Blues," He told him right after he asked another medic. "I'm sure you can find something in the Cyberworld. I'm counting on you."

"Yes, Enzan-sama."

"Alright. Blues plug-in!"

* * *

The Cyberspace in Chiisai General Hospital was much more smaller and also slightly in disorder, in Blues' opinion. Different kinds of data about the patients and their ailments were scattered around. There were only 6 _NormalNavis_ trying to sort out everything and arrange them. Indeed, they were still adjusting to the Internet Navigator program.

Just like Enzan, he also asked them related to any kind of portals sited in their area but it seemed like they didn't notice anything as well.

He decided to look farther and left them.

Later on, Blues realized that there were other compartments in the area and the whole place resembled a maze. He carefully navigated each room until he came to the furthest one. It was then that he noticed a small figure along with a fading one. He began to approached them and was shocked to realize who they were.

* * *

Enzan sighed. _So what to do now?_ He thought. It might take a while for Blues to investigate the Cyberworld and he had already asked a lot of staff about the portal with no luck. Guess, he should report to Prof. Hikari about his current findings.

His thoughts were cut short when someone cleared her throat.

"Excuse me."

He turned and saw the same nurse that led him to Dr. Tanaka earlier. "Yes?"

"I don't know if this could help but..." She smiled a little. "Last night, something _unusual_ did happened however it wasn't related to the _NetNavi_ system."

That perked the young prodigy's attention. "What is it then?"

"Well, we have a patient at the ICU who had been in a coma for a year now. Apparently, she was already beyond help and we really thought she wouldn't made it but suddenly she began to respond to our treatments at past midnight when I checked up on her. Although, she's still unconscious as of the moment."

Enzan thought for a while. Indeed, that wasn't related to his investigation but it was worth a try especially since it also happened almost at the same time as the _fossa ambience_ was sited.

"Can you take me to her?" he inquired.

"Yes."

She led him him to a farthest room which marked as the Intensive Care Unit then stopped when she remembered something.

"Oh, no!" She exclaimed.

"Huh?"

"I forgot. I need to ask permission first from Tanaka-hakase!" She explained in panic. "You see, we only allow the patient's immediate family to visit inside the ICU."

"Oh..." Enzan realized that he had not inquired about it either. But, again, he never planned to visit anyone in the first place.

"Can you wait for me for a minute?"

"Sure."

Then the nurse hurriedly left him.

Without anything to do, he began to inspect the placard placed beside the door of the ICU. It contained the list of names of the patients admitted inside as well as brief description of their condition and the doctor attending them. As of that moment, there was only one name written on it.

 _ **Murasaki Ayame** , 15_

 _Comatose due to vehicular accident (need of intensive care and daily check-ups)_

 _Dr. Tanaka_

Unfortunately, the name didn't rang a bell to him. Enzan knew he had never heard of that name before.

He was still in the middle of pondering about it, when Blues suddenly appeared on his shoulder and looked agitated. "Enzan-sama! Emergency! We need to go back to the Ministry of Science as soon as possible."

"What is it?" The _Net_ _S_ _avior_ asked in alarm. "Are there any enemies?"

"No. I found Trill and Iris instead. But, Enzan-sama, the latter is in danger…" He shook his head vigorously. "… She's in the process of being _deleted_."

* * *

"Argh! Why didn't Papa also called me?! I could have helped, too, you know!" Netto complained after hearing all that had occurred that day. He was only able to arrive at the Ministry of Science after his exams ended and that meant he had already missed all the _excitement_ he had been craving for months.

"Your dad knows you're only gonna skip your tests, Netto, and he won't allow that," Enzan sighed while leaning on the wall.

"But this is really _important!_ "

The young prodigy smacked him. "Your studies are _important_ , too, idiot."

"Ow." The brunet just rubbed his poor head.

"Besides," he continued. "I didn't stay long. I had to get back here immediately because of what happened to _her_." Then he stared at the floating green female _Navi_ inside the glass-like container where Dr. Hikari was attending and typing various codes to repair some of her damage along with other scientists.

Netto then became worried. "How is Iris doing though?"

"I'm not so sure. She was really in a bad shape when Blues found her this morning and Hikari-hakase had been treating her back to health ever since we came back."

"How about Trill?"

He shook his head. "No good either. He was really traumatized and hadn't stopped crying. We couldn't get any more information from him other than the fact that a masked _Navi_ attacked them and it looks like it was after Trill."

"A masked _Navi_? Who was it?"

"Trill doesn't know." Enzan frowned. "But whoever it was, it's definitely someone who'll get what he wants at any cost... even as far as deleting a fellow _NetNavi_. Although..." He paused for a second to ponder about something. "... for some reason, that guy wasn't able to follow them when they had transported here on Earth."

"Well, that's a relief. But still..." The brunet clenched his fist in anger. "What should we do now?!"

"Unfortunately, we have no choice but to wait." The young prodigy sighed. "Only until she'll regain her consciousness that we'll be able to have all the answers."

"Then I really hope she'll wake up soon."

"Yeah..." Enzan trailed off as he stared again at the unconscious _Navi_. "I hope so, too."


	4. Ch 3: Human Limitations

**DISCLAIMER: _No, I don't own anything except the plot. Thank you._  
**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

 _ **Human Limitations**_

* * *

 **Chiisai Island, Nihon, Earth**

 _(Back to the present...)_

"Are you sure you're gonna be alright here all alone, dear?" Murasaki-san asked her for the _nth_ time as the woman grabbed both of her shoulders worriedly. They were both standing outside their doorstep that saturday morning.

It turned out that even though it's just a day after Iris was finally out of the hospital, Murasaki-san was suddenly called for work so she had to leave.

"I could just—"

Iris immediately shook her head to cut her off. "It's okay, okaasan. You've been absent from work for many weeks now just to take care of me. You could get in trouble."

The lady sighed but finally relented before letting go. "Just make sure that you won't skip your meals. Don't tire yourself too much. If your going outside, make sure that you take Kojirou-kun along with you. But don't get too far. Call me if you need anything or if there's an emergency, okay?"

Iris only gave a small smile at the woman's frantic ramblings and reminders. She had already heard it so many times that she could practically memorize every sentence. Indeed the lady was overly paranoid but she knew that Shion had every right to be as it was only a day after her _daughter_ had just come back from the hospital after all. "Yes, okaasan."

Murasaki-san frowned when she remembered something. "I'm sorry I can't buy you a new phone right now, sweatheart. Okaasan had to settle the hospital bills first. But I'll get one for you once I receive my next paycheck."

"It's okay. I'll just use our landline for now, okaasan. Please don't worry about me." A pang of guilt crept into her heart but she ignored it. Instead, she started pushing her mother softly towards the pathway leading to the gate. "You should go now. You'll be late for work."

The woman sighed again and gave her one quick hug before finally walking towards a waiting taxi. "Take care, Ayame."

Iris merely waved goodbye as the car drived away. Her smile faltered.

Once they were gone, it was her turn to sigh.

She really couldn't get used to all of these. Smiling and expressing her feelings like that. Even though she was created out of her brother's emotional data, that didn't mean she understood it. All of her life, she had to conceal her emotions to survive in their world after all. But now, it's the opposite.

She shook her head. She had a lot to do today. She needed to communicate to Hikari Netto somehow and the only way to do that was through a computer. She remembered that Murasaki-san had a laptop in her bedroom when she passed by it yesterday. So even though she felt like she was invading someone else's privacy, she went back inside the house to the woman's room.

Slowly, she opened the door and was met by a simple interior. Murasaki-san's room was more modest compared to hers. There was a small bed at the corner next to a well-worn cabinet. The laptop that she was looking for was sitting comfortably on a table near the window along with some random folders and documents. She took a deep breath and sat on the chair in front of it before finally turning on the portable computer.

Surprisingly, it didn't have any password. Not like there would have been any difference if it had one since the former _NetNavi_ can pretty much just hack her way inside. But that did help lessen her work.

She was about to type a message when she realized that she couldn't risk sending an e-mail to them. It's possible that other parties might intercept her message. Worst, their enemy might track its source and will give away her location.

She immediately closed the document and sighed. If it's like this then she'll have to go to the Ministry of Science in person. But the problem was that she didn't know how. It was easier when she was still a _NetNavi_ since she could just plug herself in and travel to through the Cyberworld. But it would be difficult now that she's a human.

There are a lot of things to consider. According to web, in order for her to arrive to Densan City from Chiisai Island, she needed to travel one hour via boat and then four more hours via Metroline. She'll need a lot of pocket money for all the travelling and food expense, too. And unfortunately, she highly doubt Murasaki-san will allow her to travel that far after just being out from the hospital.

She sighed. Now what?

She was stumped but she couldn't give up now. Trill needed her. So she continued to browse the files inside the laptop hoping that something might miraculously help her. But all she saw though was some music files as well as more pictures of Murasaki-san and Ayame. Surprisingly, there wasn't any picture of Ayame's father though.

Now that she thought about it, ever since she woke up, Iris never saw the guy and Murasaki-san didn't mention anything about him, too. But she guessed that there's more to the story and it's not her place to know the details.

As she continued to scroll down, suddenly she spotted a locked folder.

She frowned.

It was odd since it's the only file that required a password out of all the documents she encountered so far. When she tried to decode it, she realized it's more complicated than she thought. There were a lot of encryptions and data securities which made her more curious and a little cautious but still she managed to unlock the folder in the end.

However she was utterly shocked upon seeing what was inside. There were hundreds of unfinished data softwares. But it wasn't just any normal program. It was related to developing and enhancing NetNavis as well as their operators.

How in the world did those information get inside Murasaki-san's laptop? As far as she knew, the woman was only an employee at a local grocery store. Unless, she was really a computer programmer?

She decided to check the folders next to the laptop and after scanning various lists of inventories from the grocery shop, she finally saw an unsent application letter to some company called IPC. At the end of it was a signed name of Murasaki Shion. There she confirmed that indeed her mother was a programmer and an excellent one at that.

But then why would she choose to live here in Chiisai Island? She could have so much more opportunities if she was in Densan City or other big cities in Nihon.

Before she could ponder more on that thought, the doorbell rang. Iris was then forced to turn off the laptop and arranged the files. But she also made sure that she didn't leave any traces of using it.

When she opened their main door, she wasn't surprised to see Kojirou waiting outside. Unlike yesterday, he was wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt and brown cargo pants while his hair was still as messy as ever. However, what confused her a bit is why the boy looked conflicted. Before she could even ask, he suddenly bowed in front of her.

"Ayame-chan, I'm sorry about yesterday!"

She only blinked in confusion.

"'Kaasan told me that you had amnesia. But I just assumed you still remember me since you called me by my full name but your mom probably told you that. I'm sorry if I sounded suspicious."

Iris was taken aback then bit her lower lip. She couldn't really tell him that she actually knew that because she's friends with another him in her world. "Ah. It's alright."

He finally stood straight again and this time with a determine look. "Let's go somewhere! I've read that going to places you've been before will help you regain your memories."

"But—" She wanted to refuse. She doubt that would change anything since she's an entirely different person however she couldn't really ignore the sincerity of this boy to help his friend. And she realized, it's the least she can do for the original owner of her body. So she sighed. "—Okay. I'll ask okaasan first."

After calling Murasaki-san and received another set of short reminders and warnings, the woman finally gave her the permission. But she wasn't allowed to do any strenuous activity since she had just recuperated.

"Just please take care of yourself, sweetheart, okay?" Iris could almost hear the crack in her mother's voice from the other side of the line and that didn't erase the guilt inside of her.

She took a deep breath. "Yes, I will, okaasan." for your daughter.

After taking a small sling bag containing her medicine and other stuffs her okaasan asked her. She finally went out and met with Kojirou-kun by the gate.

* * *

"So where are we going?" Iris asked as they walked further away from their houses.

"You'll know when we get there." Then he grinned. "Don't worry. I'm positive you'll like it!"

She blinked. "Alright."

Then she went quiet again while silently observing the path their taking. The houses seemed to get fewer in that area as more palm trees came to sight. Tiny grains of sands also started to stick to the soles of her shoes as they trod on. Other than that, she could faintly smell the saltiness in the air as a cool breeze picked up her hair. That's when she realized where he's taking her.

After passing one last tree, Iris immediately shielded her eyes from the sudden harsh rays of the sun directed upon her.

"TADA!" She could hear Kojirou exclaimed in excitement along the roars of the waves in the background.

When the former _NetNavi_ finally opened her eyes the wide blue sea came into view.

Iris couldn't help but be amazed at the water that seemed to sparkle under the sunlight. The sea breeze caused her hair to fly everywhere but she didn't mind as a small smile formed on her lips. She unconsciously tucked her hair behind the ear while watching the seagulls flying over them. She didn't know that their houses were just near the beach.

"Guess even if you lost your memories, you still love the sea, eh?"

She turned to him and saw that he was grinning at her while resting his arms behind his head.

She smiled at him sincerely. "Thank you, Kojirou-kun."

He suddenly blushed then turned away while coughing. "I-It's nothing. _Ehem!_ Now the _best_ part."

He started to remove both of his rubber shoes along with his socks and ran barefooted towards the seashore. He waded carelessly in the water while waving at her. "Come on, Ayame-chan!"

Iris blinked as she gripped on the sling of her bag nervously. "I-I'm not too sure about that."

He became confused. "But you used to like to soak your feet at the beach, you know?"

She avoided his gaze. "Um. My mom wouldn't probably liked it since I just got out of the hospital."

"Oh." He sounded disappointed. "I see. I forgot about that." Then he smiled sheepishly. "Well, there's next time."

He went back beside her and suddenly sat on the sand.

"Wait. You'll get your clothes dirty." She said worriedly.

"Nah. It's alright." He shrugged nonchalantly. "It'll just come off. You should, too. It's tiring to just stand there."

"Okay..." She slowly get into her knees and sat next to him.

Then there's silence. Iris stole a glance at her companion while he was busy whistling and staring off the sea. She couldn't help but compare the _Aragaki_ _Kojirou_ beside her to the one she had known back in Beyondard. They were similar alright but also different. The Earth-Kojirou was more reckless and laid-back but she guessed that maybe it's because he had not known war yet.

"Hey, do you remember something now?" He suddenly asked and that caught her off-guard.

She merely shook her head. It's really impossible after all. She wasn't Ayame. And that made her feel guilty for lying because the boy in front of her was only trying to help. "Sorry."

"Nah. I guessed that much." He sighed but still grinned at her. "It's alright. You don't have to force yourself."

She only bit her lower lip but before she could respond, some gruff voice interupted them.

"Oy, Kojirou, when are you going to introduce me?"

A small transparent _NormalNavi_ suddenly appeared on Kojirou's shoulder. He was wearing a bright orange helmet and overalls but unlike the usual ones, he had this permanent scowl on his face.

"Hey! I told you not to interrupt us!"

"Yeah-yeah. You said I won't interrupt your _date_." The _Navi_ only rolled its eyes and shrugged.

His _NetOp_ immediately turned bright red. "Shut up!"

The two started arguing and calling each other useless while Iris only blinked in confusion. It suprised her to find that the Earth-Kojirou had his own Navi. But then again, he was also different to the one she knew. Finally, she decided to intervene.

"Um, you're a _NormalNavi_ , right? From what you said, I'm guessing I never met you yet?"

"That's right. I'm NorMan, this _useless_ guy's _Navi_." The _NetNavi_ finally introduced himself with a bow. "There was this netbattling trial run here at Chiisai Island a few months ago and somehow, my _useless_ operator managed to get the top place out of all the kids who joined. So they let him have me, one of the first _Navis_ sent here after seeing his so-called potential."

"Hey, you made it sound like it's a bad thing!" Kojirou complained.

"Because it is. A _huge_ mistake if you ask me."

"Pfft!" The brunet folded his arms. "For you info, I studied _NetBattling_ for a long time. I even watched the whole video compilation of the _N-1 Grand Prix!_ —well, except for the finals that is. I don't know why there wasn't any videos for it but that's beside the point. I really take battling seriously, you know! Ayame-chan always knew about that, too." Then he paused. "I mean, she _used_ to."

Iris didn't know how to react to that while NorMan could only sigh. "Wish you had the same enthusiasm when it comes to your academics though."

"I don't care about that." Kojirou suddenly stood up and throw a fist in the air which surprised Iris. "I'm planning to go to Densan City anyway. I'll defeat that Hikari Netto and Ijuuin Enzan and become the number one _NetBattler_ in the whole world! Definitely!"

That immediately caught the former _Navi_ 's attention.

"You're going to Densan City?" She also stood up from the sand and leaned closer to him. "When?"

Kojirou stammered not expecting the girl to suddenly invade his personal space. A hint of red slowly spread on his cheeks. "Um, o-one of these days...? I've been saving a lot for a long time but I'm still not sure if it would be enough."

Iris didn't waste any time and immediately asked, "Can I go with you?"

"I don't... know. I mean, your mom won't probably allow you, right?"

" _Please_ ," she pleaded. It's her only chance to ask for help. She knew that the longer she stays in Chiisai Island, the more that Trill could be in danger. Worst, she could already be too late.

Kojirou and NorMan looked at each other. The latter only shrugged then disappear leaving his _NetOp_ to deal with this alone.

The brunet finally sighed in defeat. "Alright. But I'm not really sure if my savings will be enough for both of us. Also why do you suddenly want to go to Densan City so much, Ayame-chan?"

Iris grabbed the sling of her bag once again uneasily. "I'm looking for someone."

" _Someone_?" He looked confused. "Wait! How do you even _know_ someone from Densan City when you've _never_ been there?"

The former Navi bit her lower lip and finally sighed. "Kojirou-kun—no, _Aragaki-san_ , I have a confession to make."

* * *

It was already dark but Iris was still very much wide awake. She was staring outside her window lost in thought. The scene that happened that morning kept on replaying inside her head.

 _"You're not Ayame...?" Kojirou said in disbelief._

 _Iris could tell that he was waiting for her to say that it was all a joke but she remained serious and only nodded._

 _"But that's impossible. If you're not her then who are you? How did it even happen? And where's Ayame?"_

 _"I'm Iris." Then she left it at that. She knew he'd be more confused if she told him she was a_ NetNavi _from another world. "As for your other questions, I also don't know."_

 _"Are you her other personality or something? I mean, I read it somewhere that there's this dual personality—"_

 _She immediately shook her head. "No, I'm not. At least that I can assure you. There are also other things that I'm not sure myself especially as to why I'm in Ayame-san's body. That's why I need to go to Densan City as soon as possible. The people I know there might help us."_

 _"I... I see." He trailed while feeling dejected. "Even though there are still a few things that I don't understand, I think it made sense somehow. No wonder I felt like you were another person."_

 _"I'm really sorry for lying to you, Aragaki-san."_

 _"No, it's okay." He sighed. "At least, you told me all of these. But what are you gonna do now? When do you want us to go to Densan City?"_

 _"Tomorrow."_

 _"Tomorrow?! But that's too soon! I mean, I just told you that I'm still not sure if my savings will be enough to travel alone and now there's two of us."_

 _"I don't have much time. And you have your class on monday, right? If we have to wait a few more days, it might be too late. Don't worry about money, I'll find something_ somehow _. Just take me with you."_

 _He sighed again. "Alright. I understand. I'll find a way to distract 'kaasan." He suddenly grimaced at that thought. "Just meet me at the harbor tomorrow. But what will you do with Ayame-chan's mom?"_

Iris sighed as she tucked the blanket more tightly to herself ignoring the stuffed animals that sat idly by her side.

She hadn't said anything to Murasaki-san over dinner and the woman had long gone to sleep so it's already too late. The former NetNavi couldn't exactly tell her either that she's going to travel to a place thousands of miles away from their home since Murasaki-san would definitely not approve. Her only hope that the woman would leave the house early tomorrow. But thinking about that, she also couldn't help but feel bad since she knew the woman also want to be with her daughter. She remembered Murasaki-san's smile that evening while asking Iris about her day.

Still, the female brunette had more important things to do and she knew she had to sacrifice a few things in order to save her own world.

With a newfound determination, she finally closed her eyes to sleep.


	5. Ch 4: Encounter at Densan City

_**A/N:** NorMan was another made up name on the spot since there wasn't any official name for Kojirou's _Navi _. Sorry, if it wasn't that creative. Lol. Anyways, enjoy~_

 **DISCLAIMER** : ***insert usual disclaimer here***

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

 _ **Encounter at Densan City**_

* * *

Iris didn't know if it was pure luck or something else but Murasaki-san did left the house earlier than usual. The woman said the there seemed to be a problem in the inventory of the grocery shop so she needed to check on it as soon as possible. She left her some money in case of emegency and reminded her again to take care herself while she's gone. Murasaki-san then gave the former _Navi_ a long hug before she finally left for work.

The brunette didn't waste any time. After a quick breakfast, she immediately grabbed her things and slid it inside her sling bag then called a taxi to take her to the harbor.

It was around 7 AM when she arrived but Kojirou was still not around which worried her. It wasn't until a few more minutes when she saw him running towards her and catching his breath. He explained that he had a hard time escaping from his mom since she was asking him so many questions on where he was going. Thankfully, he managed to distract her with some soap opera she's obsessed with.

They immediately boarded a ship taking them to the next island where they'll be riding the Metroline to Densan City for more than three hours.

They were already riding the high-powered subway, when anxiety dawned to the former _Navi_ on their way to Densan Town which was their final stop. She was constantly worrying for Trill and the idea that she might already be too late didn't make her feel any better. But somehow, Kojirou's and NorMan's constant bickering did lessen her nervousness. It distracted her from her negative thoughts forming inside her head.

She turned towards the window and saw the beautiful sceneries that they passed by and that finally made her smile. It reminded her of Beyondard after the war where the citizens started to rebuild their destroyed home. Where kids learn to laugh and play again and the people are free. But who would have thought that their peace wouldn't last long.

Her thoughts were then interrupted by the intercom announcing that they will be arriving the Metroline Station at Densan Town in a few minutes.

It was already quarter to twelve when they reached the subway station. Iris could immediately tell that Kojirou was ecstatic. Stars could be literally seen in his eyes wherever he looked as he checked out the stalls inside the station.

"So are we going immediately straight to the place you wanted to go?" He asked but clearly he still wants to go exploring before they do.

Before she could reply, his stomache suddenly grumbled.

"I think we should eat first," Iris declared after seeing him turned into a tomato.

"Y-Yeah. You're right." He scratched his head in embarassment.

They walked away from the Metroline Station and followed the crowd until they reached a fast food restaurant on the next street. They decided to eat there but before they could even get inside, Kojirou paled.

"Shoot!"

"What is it?" Iris asked worriedly.

"I think I misplaced my wallet."

"Where did you last see it?"

"At the station?" He was clearly panicking then. "I'm going back. Wait for me here."

"No. I'm coming with you. I'll help you look for it."

He hesitated but then eventually agreed. "Okay."

They raced back to the Metroline station and after agreeing to meet at the street next to the subway, they separate their ways to look for the missing wallet.

Iris tried to remember what they did before they left the station. After their conversation, Kojirou went to get a drink from a vending machine so she started looking for it there. After a few minutes of inspecting the area, she finally saw the wallet lying on the ground a few steps away from the said machine and picked it up.

She went to their agreed meeting place afterwards but realized that she didn't have any phone to contact him. So she decided to wait for him there.

She roamed her eyes to the infrastructures around her and learned that Densan Town had changed so much in just three years. There were new buildings she's not familiar with and even the old ones were now renovated.

But her musings were cut short yet again when suddenly someone grabbed her arm. Her immediate reaction was to pull away but when she turned towards her captor, a familiar pair of blue eyes met with hers.

* * *

"Still no new update?" Enzan asked Netto via PET which doubles as his phone while riding on the backseat of their company car on the way to one of their clients.

The brunet merely shook his head in exasperation on the screen. "No. Iris is still unconscious and Papa is still figuring it out as to why. They had already repaired everything they could at the Ministry of Science but it seems like there's still no sign of her waking up. To think that it's been more than two weeks already."

"That's indeed unusual," the monochrome-haired teen noted. "They were able to revive NetNavis from deletion in the past including RockMan and Blues. And even then, our _Navis_ were back to normal within a week."

"Do you think that masked _Navi_ did something to her than just attack?" Netto asked worriedly.

"It's possible. But we can't tell for sure. We still don't know who our enemy yet. At the very least, Trill is doing much better, right?"

The brunet sighed from the other line. "Yeah. But he still won't leave the room where Iris is confined in. He's really worried about her."

"She did take care of him."

"Well, I'm going to the Ministry of Science later. Wanna come with me?"

"I can't. I have an appointment with one of the board in the afternoon. Speaking of appointment, I need to hang up. I'm almost at my destination."

"Oh, alright. See you around, Enzan!"

Then Netto logged out.

The young genius let out a sigh as he put his PET back to his pocket. He then asked his assistant, a middle-aged woman with a short red hair, who was also driving the car, for a copy of the new contract he'll be having with their client and began scanning again the details. There wasn't really any problem with it actually but with that person's attitude, he highly doubt it would be easy. It's going to be another headache for him for sure.

He closed the folder and looked out the car's window. He also couldn't help but think about their new enemy, too. Without any information regarding the masked _Navi_ , it's hard to decipher his next move. Sure, the weeks went by without any trouble but Enzan knew that a storm is brewing somewhere and they need to be prepared for it.

Suddenly, the car halted in front of a fast food restaurant near a pedestrian lane as the stoplight glowed in red. As they waited, he caught a sight of a familiar long-haired brunette walking by the sidewalk along with some other civilians. His eyes widen upon seeing the green-and-pink butterfly barrette on her hair.

Before he could even fully comprehend what he had just saw, the car started moving again and the girl was then lost in the crowd.

* * *

Enzan was distracted. But that was probably an understatement. Even during the meeting with his client, he zoned out a few times. Thankfully, his assistant was there to answer the rest of the questions and closed the deal for him without any trouble.

It wasn't until they were on their way back to the car when she finally asked him what was wrong.

"I'm alright, Yamaguchi-san. Can you drop me to a fast food restaurant at Block 2?"

"Oh, are you perhaps hungry, Enzan-sama? It's already past noon. Would you like me to buy something for you?"

"No, it's okay. I just need to check on something." He said seriously. "Don't wait for me though. I'll just contact you to pick me up later for my next appointment."

The woman became concerned but nonetheless didn't object. She opened the car's door for him and afterwards they left the office building.

When they reached the said restaurant, Enzan didn't waste any time and went out of the vehicle. He started walking towards the direction he last saw the brunette before but she was already nowhere to be found.

He sighed.

He wondered if what he saw was just a hallucination. It's impossible after all for Iris to be walking around in the Real world. As far as he knew, she was still unconscious at the Ministry of Science and even Netto said so. Still, he couldn't deny that the girl he had saw had the uncanny resemblance to the female _Navi_ 's human form albeit a little taller, especially that green-and-pink butterfly barrette. But what if it's a different girl?

He continued to tread on as he scanned the area for a familiar brunette until he reached the Metroline Station at Block 3. It was then that he saw the mysterious girl standing on the other side of the street as if waiting for someone.

Enzan didn't think twice and crossed the road. He ran towards her and upon reaching her, he immediately grabbed her arm. That's when the brunette finally turned to look at him.

A set of saphire eyes met emerald ones.

* * *

He was older and taller, Iris noticed. His black-and-white hair was now tied in a small ponytail and he was wearing more casual clothes. But the seriousness in his gaze was still the same.

"Iris..." he mumured in disbelief.

But the former _NetNavi_ was also too shocked to reply.

That's when another voice called her.

"Ayame-chan!"

She turned and saw Kojirou sprinting towards her but he wasn't looking at her but to the person holding holding her arm.

"Hey, what are you doing?!" The brunet immediately shove his hand away from her which wasn't that hard since the monochrome-haired teen was also surprised to see him.

"You're—"

"Do I know you?" Kojirou frowned then he realized something. "Wait. I _do_ know you! You're Ijuuin Enzan, one of the finalists at _N-1 Grand Prix_."

That's when Enzan seemed to snap out from a trance. "That's right. I'm sorry. I just thought you were _someone_ I know." He was looking at Iris when he said the last words but then shook his head. "Excuse me."

He was about to leave when Kojirou stopped him. "Wait, Ijuuin!"

He turned back and gave him a puzzled look.

"I challenge you to a battle!"

Without batting an eye, Enzan immediately turned him down flatly. "Sorry, I'm busy."

"What?! But—"

He only waved his hand dismissively and went his way.

Iris, on the other hand, finally sorted out her thoughts and ran after him which caught Kojirou off-guard.

She grabbed the hem of the _NetSavior_ 's shirt and muttered desperately, "Enzan... I need your help."

* * *

For the third time, the monochrome-haired teen was surprised. Just when he thought that he was mistaken, the girl who looked a lot like Iris suddenly asked for his help.

His eyebrows furrowed. "What?"

The brunette took a deep breath and looked at him straight in the eye. "You're right. I'm Iris."

"But didn't he just called you ' _Ayame_ '?"

"Oh, _right_. I keep on forgetting her new name," the Aragaki guy scratched his head. "Is he the one were looking for, Iris?"

"No. He's Hikari-kun's friend."

At the mere mention of Netto, his eyes widen. "Wait. So you're really ' _Iris'_? The same _Iris_ we know three years ago?"

"Yes." the girl bowed. "Colonel's younger sister and Trill's guardian."

"You have a _brother_?!" The other brunet exclaimed. "And who's _Trill?_ "

But Iris chose to ignore him and continued. "I'm looking for Trill. Somehow, we got separated after we went inside the _fossa ambience_ and he could be in danger. Please. I know you might not believe me right now but I can explain everything once you take me to Hikari-kun."

Enzan stared at her. He still couldn't believe everything she had said especially knowing that the real Iris was currently unconscious. But he also couldn't deny that her explanation made sense somehow and seeing the desparation in her eyes, he decided to give her the benefit of a doubt. "Alright. I'll take you to the Ministry of Science."

"Hey, I'm coming with her, too!" Kojirou interjected.

The _NetSavior_ raised his eyebrows at the former _Navi_. She knew that they simply couldn't bring an outsider at the lab.

Iris bit her lower lip. "You can trust him. I owe him an explanation since he helped me come here."

He sighed then his eyes narrowed towards the other brunet. "You do know you _can't_ reveal to anyone what you will witness inside the place were going, _right_? If not, you'll definitely face the _consequences_."

The latter gulped and paled. "Y-Yes."

"Good." Enzan then proceeded to call his assistant.

* * *

"Woah! This place looks cool!" Kojirou rambled on as he stared at the huge building in front of them in awe.

The monochrome-haired teen merely ignored him and proceeded to the automatic entrance as the remaining two followed him.

He immediately saw Netto at the lobby and the latter greeted him. "Oh, Enzan, I thought you're not coming?" Then the brunet _NetSavior_ shifted his eyes to his companions and was shocked to see who they were. "Iris and Kojirou?!"

"Eh, Hikari Netto?" The other darker brown-haired guy blinked in surprise then whispered to Iris. "Wait. So the person you wanted to meet all this time was _him_?"

The former _Navi_ only nodded.

"Hold on. How can this happen?!" The Netto turned to his monochrome-haired friend in confusion and pointed towards the other two outrageously. "Iris is—"

" _That_ I also want to know." Enzan only cut him off. "Let's discuss this at the conference room."

He lead them inside one of the doors at the facilty and entered a room where a long glass table was set at the center and some swivel chairs surrounded it.

Once settled, Enzan folded his arms and stared at the only girl of the group seriously. "Well?"

"WAIT!"

"What?" The black-and-white haired genius eyed Kojirou clearly annoyed for the interruption.

The darker shade brunet flinched but continued. "C-Can we eat lunch first? We've been travelling since this morning, dude. I don't know about you, but I'm really hungry."

"I'm alright." But then his stomache said otherwise. Netto tried not to laugh while Enzan slightly turned red but, nonetheless, he still managed to call Yamaguchi-san to deliver them some food coolly.

"Okay, done," he sighed. "Now, let's proceed with your explanation, _Iris_."

The former _NetNavi_ blinked then nodded. "I know, this might sound absurd to the both of you but I'm really Iris. Trill and I were trying to escape from a masked Navi that was suddenly after him and I was heavily injured during the process. We were supposed to teleport to another place but accidentally got transported to your world instead. I also don't know how it happened but the next thing I knew, I regained conscious at the hospital on a faraway island and inside this human body. Ever since then I also haven't seen Trill. Please, help me find him."

Both _NetSaviors_ looked at each other.

"And this guy is?" Enzan gestured at Kojirou.

"Ayame-san's friend and neighbor. He helped me get here in Densan Town after I explained my situation."

"I see." The monochrome-haired teen frowned. "By the way, was the hospital's name perhaps Chiisai General Hospital?" He suddenly asked.

Iris' eyes widen. "How did you know?"

"So that's how it is. It all matched up." He closed his eyes for a second then sighed. "Murasaki Ayame, 15 years old, met a vehicular accident a year ago and was in a coma ever since. She was admitted in the ICU of Chiisai General Hospital."

"Woah! You know my friend?" Kojirou asked.

"No," he shook his head. "Personally, I don't. But I just happened to know about her situation when I was in Chiisai Island around two weeks ago. I never got the chance to meet her."

"Hold on. You never said anything about her in your report, Enzan," Netto pointed out.

"I really didn't think it was important at that time," he said as a matter-of-factly.

Iris frowned. "But what were you doing at the hospital then?"

"An investigation of a _fossa ambience_ sighting."

"Does that mean, you know where Trill is?" She asked hopefully.

It was Netto who answered with a smile. "Yes, Iris, he's with us. Don't worry."

The former finally let a sigh in relief. "Thank goodness."

"Uh, can I ask a question?"

Kojirou suddenly interrupted again which made Enzan frown but the his brunet friend replied, "Sure."

"What's this about _another_ world you're talking about? And are you saying Iris here possessed my friend's body? Also I've been asking this since before but who's Trill? What's a _fossa_ -something? And how come the two of you know me? I'm sure I never met either of you. At least, personally."

"Well, it's kinda a long story." Netto scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. "It's—"

Then Enzan's PET beeped and his assistant informed him that their meal was ready.

"On second thought, I'll tell you while we eat." The brunet _NetSavior_ grinned.

* * *

"So let me get this straight, Iris is _NetNavi_ from another world similar to ours and is tasked to protect a special Navi named, Trill."

"Yup."

"Three years ago, there was war in the world and they accidentally travelled here and that's how you met?"

"Yup."

"And you said that their world, Beyondard, is similar to ours that they have their own version of us and that you met another Kojirou in that world which was why you know me?"

"Yup."

"Okay, I kinda understand now. But I'm still bothered why she woke up in my friend's body. If it's true, then where's Ayame?"

Enzan was surprised. Despite of not looking like it, Kojirou seemed to pretty much catch on the situation immediately based on the exchanges between him and Netto. But then the black-and-white _NetSavior_ also noticed Iris bit her lower lip in guilt on the last statement at the corner of his eyes.

"Well..." His brunet friend trailed then look at him uneasily.

"We don't know. But we could ask Netto's father about it." The monochrome-haired teen then stood up after finishing the take-out curry his assistant ordered. "Why don't we take you to Trill first. I'm sure you want to meet him, right, Iris?"

"Yes, please," came the former _Navi_ 's immediate reply. She, too, had already finished her meal.

"Let's go!" Netto said excitedly. "I'm sure he'll be really happy to see you, Iris!"

"Hey, w-wait for me!" Kojirou frantically gobbled down his remaining curry which nearly choked him but he managed to drink some water.

They left the conference room and started walking towards a smaller room where there are many computers lined up and a box-shaped hologram at the center.

Netto took out his PET and called out to his partner. "Hey, RockMan, how's Trill?"

The blue _Net_ _Navi_ immediately appeared on the screen. "He's doing okay, Netto-kun."

"Can you fetch him for me? I want him to meet someone."

RockMan tilted his head in curiousity but nonetheless nodded. "Okay."

A few minutes later the miniature form of the blue _Navi_ appeared on Netto's shoulder along with a smaller yellow one. The latter was visibly upset.

"T-Trill!" Iris went teary-eyed as she approached them.

The yellow Navi snapped out and turned to her and immediately his eyes widen. "Oneechan!"

RockMan blinked in confusion and turned to his operator. "Iris?! But isn't she–"

"Long story." Netto simply said.

"I'm glad you're safe." The brunette said. It's obvious that she wanted to hug the small _Navi_ but it's quite impossible in her part so she simply sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry, oneechan. I was not strong enough to protect you." Trill bawled while sniffling. "I'm really sorry."

"It's alright, Trill." Iris cooed gently. "The mere fact that you're okay is enough for me."

"But why are you with Netto? You were just unconscious before? How?" Trill asked in bewilderment.

"Unconscious?"

"Yes, Iris." Enzan interrupted them while his arms folded. "Remember when I said that I went to investigate the _fossa ambience_ in Chiisai Island before and found Trill?"

Iris nodded uneasily.

"Blues also found your unconscious body with him."

"M-My body?"

"Yes, your original body." The monochrome-haired teen began typing some code on one of the computers and afterwards a green _NetNavi_ materialized inside the hologram box at the center. She was floating horizontally and lying unconscious in mid air.

"Woah! That's Iris?!" Kojirou exclaimed in shock. "Wait, if that's how she originally looked like, how did you recognize her inside my friend's body? They seriously don't look similar at all."

"Well, she has a special ability." Enzan explained then pushed another button. Immediately, the green _NetNavi_ transformed into a 12-year-old girl with long brown hair wearing a purple long-sleeve dress.

"No way!" The darker shade brunet blurted out in disbelief. "Now she looks exactly like her but much younger!"

"Yeah. I think, Murasaki Ayame is Iris' Earth counterpart." Netto concluded. "You do, too, right, Iris?"

"Yes, but I'm just surprised that my other self is a human." Iris uttered worriedly. "Do you know how I could go back to my body?"

"Unfortunately, no. But I guess, it's time we'll call on to Hikari-hakase for that." The black-and-white-haired _NetSavior_ said finally.

"Alright, I'll go and head to my dad. You guys wait for me." Then Netto left the room.

Suddenly, Enzan's PET began to vibrate again and he saw that it was Yamaguchi-san informing him that it's almost time for his appointed meeting with a board member.

He frowned. A part of him was really not in the mood to go for work right then but it's not like he had a choice. He sighed.

"Um, is there a problem?"

He was surprised when she suddenly asked him. But he just gave her a defeated glance. "Just some work really. I need to go somewhere else."

"Work? Like _office work-_ whatever? Aren't you too young be working? I mean, we're just the same age," Kojirou commented.

He just shrugged.

"Sorry for the trouble," Iris mumbled. "You did say before that you were busy."

"It's fine. It's one of my duty as a _NetSavior_ after all. Netto should be able to do the rest."

"Thank you," she said sincerely and gave him a small smile. "I'm really grateful for your help, Enzan."

The young genius was slightly taken aback but nonetheless nodded. "You're welcome."

His assistant finally came to fetch him and so they both left afterwards.

* * *

"Iris' consciousness was transferred to a human being you say?" Prof. Hikari was beyond baffled after hearing her situation from his son. He had just finished some paperworks on one of their research at the lab when Netto called for him.

"That's right, Papa. Can you help her?"

The scientist shook his head sympathetically. "I'm afraid I can't help you for now, Iris-san. To be honest, this is my first time encountering this kind of phenomenon. So it might take a while for me to figure this one out."

"So does that mean you also can't help bring my friend back?" Kojirou asked. Disappointment was evident in his voice.

"I'm sorry, Aragaki-kun. I'm not entirely sure about that either."

The former NetNavi felt her heart sank. She couldn't help but feel that this was all of her fault and blamed herself for it even if she didn't intend for it to happen. It's because she somehow took Ayame's life as her own and now, there were people affected because of it.

Suddenly, a hand was placed on her shoulder and she saw Netto's father smiled kindly to her. "I will do my best to do something about it so please don't worry."

"Thank you so much, Hikari-hakase." Then she bowed. "I apologize for bothering you with my problem."

"It's alright."

"Ne, Papa, then what should we do for now?" Netto inquired.

"I'll probably need to do a lot of research first. And with that said, I'll also need Iris-san to be here in Densan City so that I'll be able to inform her immediately about my findings and possible solutions."

The brunette frowned. "That might be impossible, hakase. I'm currently staying with Ayame's mother in Chiisai Island so I cannot just leave her. Her work is also there." Then sighed. "She's kind of overprotective of me, too, and the reason that I was even able to come today was because Aragaki-san helped me but I also need to go back soon."

"That would indeed pose as a problem." Prof. Hikari thought for a moment. "What's does she do for a living?"

"She's an employee at a grocery store near our house."

"I see."

Then Iris remembered something. "She's a computer programmer, too."

"A programmer?" The scientist sounded confused. "But why is she working as a staff at a grocery store?"

"I also don't know but I saw from one of her files at home that she had an unsent application letter to a company called IPC."

"Did you say _IPC_?" Netto exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes?" It was the former _Navi_ 's turn to become confused. "Why?"

The brunet _NetSavior_ grinned. "Enzan might be able to help you."

"How can he help?" Kojirou asked skeptically. "Is he like the son of the owner or something?"

Netto continued to grin.

"What? Seriously?!"

"Yup. IPC stands for Ijuuin PET Company."

* * *

After contacting Enzan about their plan, he agreed to cooperate and afterwards, the brunette decided that they should start travelling back home since it would be already dark by the time they arrive. Thankfully, the scientist decided to have Netto accompany them back to Chiisai Island on a chopper.

Trill had to stay at the Ministry of Science for the sake of his safety so after bidding their farewell and a promise on Iris' part to come back, they finally left Densan City.

On their way, Netto was sitting beside the pilot and was busy marveling the view while Iris, on the other hand, sat at the back with Kojirou who was unusually quiet.

The former _Navi_ sighed as she stare at the horizon from the window. She was again lost in thought.

She was glad that Trill was alright but her dilemma was far from over yet. She's still stuck inside Ayame's body and there's nothing that she could do. And even if she didn't want to, she made Netto and the others get involved with her problem yet again. That made her heart sank. Still her only hope was for their plan to work.

"Are you sure about this, Iris?" Kojirou suddenly asked interrupting her thoughts. He had this worried look on his face.

"Not really. But it's the only thing I can do for now."

"There might be a problem though."

Iris frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Ayame-chan's mom won't probably agree with this." He sighed. "I wasn't able to tell you this before but I actually know why Murasaki-san gave up on being a programmer."

"Wait. You knew? How?"

"Ayame-chan told me before." Then he paused clearly hesitating what to say next. After a few more moments he finally made up his mind. "I don't know if I'm in the right position to say this but you should at least know... _It has to do with her father_ _._ "


End file.
